On 19 September 2023, Minister Counsellor Waramon Waruttama welcomed representatives from the Department of Labor, led by Associate Deputy Secretary Nikki McKinney, and the group of El Monte Thai garment workers, who were victims of human trafficking and rescued in 1995. Associate Deputy Secretary McKinney expressed gratitude to the Embassy for “welcoming them home” and reiterated the group’s importance to the foundation of anti-human trafficking efforts in the U.S.

Previously on 18 September 2023, the Department of Labor held a ceremony to induct the El Monte Thai Garment Workers in the Department’s Hall of Honor to honor their courage and resilience. Acting Secretary of Labor, Julie Su, who was a leading attorney for the case, chaired the ceremony. Also present were dignitaries, such as Senator Tammy Duckworth and Department of Justice officials who prosecuted the case. The El Monte case became known as the modern-day slavery case in the U.S. that raised interest and efforts in tackling human trafficking, resulting in a law passed by Congress in 2000, later known as the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), that required the State Department to submit the annual TIP Report until today.